@watchguy23 As I'm sure you are now aware you have one of the rarest privately owned watches in the world.
Now for the ethical dilemma, if the watch is sold for big money, do you give anything to your friend that sold it to you, and if so, how much?
Now for the ethical dilemma, if the watch is sold for big money, do you give anything to your friend that sold it to you, and if so, how much?
No guilt needed.
This is a prototype NASA owned one of 56 watches. Most of us would shit our pants just to wear it on our wrist for a day. If someone doesn't understand or appreciate the significance of this watch then that's on them. Is it someone elses responsibility to teach them to respect the history, their history? Hell no. In this age where everything is available on the internet, you must be too lazy or uncaring to do the minimal research, that's on you. What's more, if you only care about how much money you can make ( or didn't make because you sold it too cheap), no mercy. You didn't deserve the watch. People will pay 250k to 500k for this watch, maybe more. Some might only care about the money. I wouldn't know because I don't have that to spend. But they at least hold the watch in some great value, enough to drop real cash. As a nerdy fan of space and speedmasters, it almost feels insulting to sell something like this cheap. Especially if it was family.
Buy him a beer. Maybe he'll appreciate his Grandfather more now.
An example of what the US Government will do to recover property it thinks belongs to them:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1933_double_eagle
However, there have been thousands of pattern and prototype coins made at the US Mint over the last 200 years or so. These trade regularly and the federal government has not gone after any of them.
At this point, I think the OP should be consulting with an attorney before moving in any direction with this watch. Good luck getting insurance on it too.
gatorcpa
The OP got nothin to worry about anymore. I bought the watch from him via PM for $1500 and if Uncle Sam wants it back I'll just say I sold it at a flea market for $1550. If some carload of guys wearing black come to the house looking for it I'll have it hidden where the sun don't shine. No squealing. That's just between us ok? 😁
How about I say an alligator ate it? After all we are in Florida. 😁
I don't think it's overreach: the double eagle coins were stolen. If you had your watch collection stolen, you would want it returned if they were found years later.
But the OP's watch is different: we don't know the provenance. How the grandfather got it is the key to the situation.
How about I say an alligator ate it? After all we are in Florida. 😁
I am not saying the government did not have the right to recuperate it's property, but what I define as scary overreach is the perpetuation in time of the intent to recover it.
